McGuire Family History

My
McGuire grandparents came from Kentucky to Texas and later were married
at Circleville, Williamson Co., Texas, April 29th – 1858. They lived
near Circleville where my grandfather bought land & operated a
cotton gin. Also, engaged in farming & live stock.

My
father, Henry Justus McGuire, came to Burnet Co. in the early 1880s and
engaged in ranching 3 1/2 miles north of Briggs known then, as Taylor’s
Gin. Ranching in those day wasn’t an easy task & my father
experienced many hardships, with no fences, to keep stock from drifting
away required sheep to be herded during day no matter what kind of
weather then put in pen at night which was made of barbed wire or
brush. Saddlehorse was hobbled or staked with rope at night. The wolf
was an enemy to the sheep man for years. Groceries were carried by
horse back from Taylor’s Gin.

The ranchers menu, consisted
mostly, of bread, bacon, brown beans, potatoes & molasses, once, in
a while, a sheep was butchered. My father gradually got his land
fenced, when he first began to court my mother, Karie Alice Reavis, he
went by horse back but finished up his courting day with a buggy &
double team of horses.

My parents were probably the first couple to be married in the Prairie View Methodist Church Nov. 9th 1892.

My
mother had an unusual experience on the eve of a bride to be. An aunt,
who was teaching in a college in San Marcos, Texas had all the clothes
for the wedding shipped in a wooden box to Florence by way of
Georgetown from whence mail was brought to Florence by horses &
buggy. Mother’s brother, Will, went to Florence to get the box in
afternoon of wedding that night. The box being too large to bring in
buggy was left in Georgetown. What a dissappointment this must have
been, but there was a way out of the predicament. My mother wore one of
the brides maids dress. The brides maid wore mother’s sister Edna’s
dress leaving her with out a new dress.

After the wedding a
supper was served the wedding party at the Reavis home. From there my
parents went to their ranch home where they spent more than 50 years.
After I arrived, I being the only living child, I more, or less, filled
the place of boy & girl. Learning to ride a horse when quite young
I helped with cattle & sheep. Even in the day of dipping cattle to
stamp out the fever tick.

After Daddy purchased a car I did all the chauffeuring for him.

In
Nov 1933 I met the man who was to be my future husband, James Albert
Kinser. He came to Briggs as pastor of church my parents married in
which had been moved from first location. In fall of 1934 a better
charge was given him over in the hill country at Harper, Texas where he
remained till 1936 when he gave up the ministry, accepting an office
position at Buchanan Dam during its final construction.

In 1937
22nd of May we were married. After completing his job at dam we engaged
in ranching with my parents. When they sold ranch in March 1943 we
bought a place about half way between Briggs & Florence in Burnet
Co. and continued ranching. My parents resided in Florence till my
father passed away July 11th 1945.

Mother made her home with my
husband & me till her death Jan 1st 1936. In fall of 1958 we sold
our place and bought another three miles south of Florence, by Florence
& Georgetown hi-way in Williamson Co. where we live at present.

After my spending 65 years in Burnet Co. came back to my father’s native Co.